by Stephen Holder, USA TODAY Sports

by Stephen Holder, USA TODAY Sports

INDIANAPOLIS - Tempting as it might have been, Robert Mathis always knew the price for hitting Peyton Manning during any of the hundreds of practice sessions in which they faced off was much too high.

"If you come within two yards of him, you might get cut," Mathis joked Thursday. "That's just the truth."

The Indianapolis Colts outside linebacker has registered an astounding 101 sacks in an illustrious 11-season career. But he's never laid a finger on Manning, who is superior to any of the dozens of quarterbacks Mathis has taken down. Mathis finally gets the chance Sunday night when the Denver Broncos visit Lucas Oil Stadium in an AFC showdown pitting Manning against his former team.

Quarterbacks are considered off limits in practice in the NFL, and any player who makes contact with one will learn a difficult lesson. Coaches have been known to throw players out of practice for such a violation. That's all the more true when that player is Manning, the personification of a franchise quarterback.

Just ask Mathis, who once nearly made what might have been a career-altering mistake.

"I came pretty close (to hitting Manning) my rookie year," Mathis sheepishly admitted. "I got an earful from more than just the coaches. You learn from it."

On Sunday night, Mathis will be encouraged to perform the act that was explicitly barred during all those years. In fact, Mathis' ability to get pressure and or sack on Manning will be one of the primary factors that decides the game.

When the pass rush is lacking, Manning "can pick and choose who he wants to (throw) to and when it comes down to it, if you get pressure in his face and he doesn't have that chance to go to the second or third read, then it's a great possibility you'll win the down," Colts defensive coordinator Greg Manusky said. "So, pressure is part of it. Trying to get him off his spot and move his feet, just like everybody."

Mathis said the goal is to "try to make him uncomfortable. However you do that, you have to do it. Whatever the game plan is, you have to carry it out."

Here's the thing: That's no small task. The Broncos have yielded just five sacks this season, fewest in the NFL. The Colts, by comparison, have allowed 13 despite having quarterback Andrew Luck, whose pocket presence is one of his greatest traits.So, there's a weekly parade of defensive ends who leave games against the Broncos exasperated after being unable to corral Manning.

There are well-known reasons why. He gets rid of the ball quicker than just about any quarterback. And he knows where all his passing options are at all times. If you dare, you can try to blitz him, but the odds of outsmarting Manning aren't good.

"There's nothing that he hasn't seen and there's nothing that he can't recall," Colts coach Chuck Pagano said. "He can handle volumes of information. And so there's nothing that we will do or anything that anybody else has done that he has not seen."

And then there's the innate ability, Mathis said: "He has that mental clock in his head to get rid of the ball."